What Makes a Hero
by The Mishmosh Bird
Summary: "Hello, Casper High. Before I say anything, I want to thank Principal Ishiama for letting me speak with you today. My name is Jasmine Fenton and, not long ago, I was a student here too. Many of you may know me or know of me, I guess. For the few who don't, I'm Danny Phantom's big sister. And today, I want to tell you about who my little brother really is."


**Hello people,**

 **This idea had actually been stewing at the back of my mind for a long time. It began when Terry Fox's sister, Judith Fox, did a presentation at my elementary school way back in Gr. 5 ... was it?**

 **For those who don't know who Terry Fox is, he's a Canadian hero. We've got a Terry Fox day where we all go running.**

 **Cash course; Terry Fox got cancer, had to get his leg amputated because of said cancer and then tried to run across the entire length of Canada to raise money for cancer victims on a prosthetic leg. He almost made it too, but cancer got to his lungs by the time he hit BC.**

 **So anyway, Terry's sister did a presentation and it kind of hit me like, "Oh, hold on, Terry isn't just this heroic icon we all make him out to be, he's a person too." And here you are, reading this.**

 **I'll go ahead and say it, this fic is dedicated to Terry Fox.**

 **I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own.**

 **Oh and a note before I start this thing, I stole a line from Judith Fox's presentation. I'll tell you which one in the A/N at the end.**

 **Without further ado,**

 _ **WHAT MAKES A HERO**_

 _ **By The Mishmosh Bird**_

"Hello, Casper High. Before I say anything, I want to thank Principal Ishiama for letting me speak with you today. My name is Jasmine Fenton and, not long ago, I was a student here too. Many of you may know me. Or know of me, I guess. For those who don't, I'm Danny Phantom's big sister. And today, I want to tell you about who my little brother really is.

"But as much as I thought I knew Danny Phantom, the Ghost Boy of Amity Park, I doubt I can tell you anything new. You saw with your own eyes how Danny Phantom flew off in the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton to fight Pariah Dark. Everyone in this room witnessed first-hand, at least once, one of his ghost battles. We all saw on Danny Phantom on TV, urging the world to take action against the Disasteroid. How he came up with a solution when no one else could. How he revealed his secret to the world and proved that even the most average-seeming kid can have incredible depth and potential. You all know these facts, so I won't repeat them.

"So instead of retelling the story of Danny Phantom, the Hero, I'm going to tell you about Danny Fenton. My kind-hearted little brother who just wanted to do the right thing.

"…"

"Truthfully, I haven't always been this over-protective. At first, Danny and I kept to ourselves and neither of us cared for Mom and Dad's weird obsession with ghosts. That changed when, one day, mom and dad had to go out for an important ghost-related convention something-or-other and left Danny and me alone in the house with a babysitter

"I remember very clearly that the entire time, the babysitter had earphones in and she scowled at us whenever we said anything to her. Danny and I left her alone.

"It took an hour for me to realise that Danny was missing. The babysitter didn't care. She kept telling me that he'd turn up sooner or later, and not to worry. Another hour passed before I decided to go look for Danny myself.

"It took a while of searching before I found him behind a building by the playground.

"…"

"Ever get that feeling where you're so angry you could feel your veins heat up and it's like smoke is bellowing from your ears? Or how about those moments where you're so stunned and _terrified_ that you're rooted to the spot, and your brain's racing, telling you to do something, but your muscles are locked in place?

"What I saw was my eight-year-old little brother, trying to get up from the ground as blood trickled down his chin. A much larger boy stood over him _laughing_. One of Danny's wrists was bent a little funny as he used the other to support himself against the wall... it wasn't until later that I even saw the black eye. The other much bigger kid and two of his cronies surrounded Danny and taunted him. Even today, I don't think I ever got quite as angry as I did right then… or so utterly terrified.

"Even today, I could hear their voices in my head, 'What's the matter, little loser? What happened to your mum's karate training? Oh, that's right, your freaky parents were too busy being ghost-hunting freaks to pay _attention_ to you.'

"I stormed right up to them and told them I was going to claw their eyes out and feed it to the wolves. I meant it too. They sort of glanced at each other and then they ran off, shouting that all Fentons were freaks.

"Oh! Hehe, thank you! I-thanks, but no need to applaud, I didn't do anything special.

"So anyway, there was Danny. He couldn't choke out a word over his relieved sobbing which seemed weird to me. I hadn't noticed any tear tracks on his face, and I realised that Danny had held it in while the older kids hit him. Let me repeat that for you, Danny, eight-year-old Danny, was able to keep from crying as a bunch of bullies bruised one of his ribs, busted his lip, gave him a black eye and sprained his wrist.

"And the whole time, he kept insisting that he was okay.

"Eventually I got him to tell me what happened.

"Danny said he ran off because he was bored and he remembered that the playground got these new swings. Apparently, those guys had been picking on another kid for a long time. He said he yelled at them to leave the kid alone. The guys had laughed at him. He challenged them, saying that mom had a 9th-degree black belt in karate and that she taught him some stuff. They had told him no at first, but he goaded them into it by insulting them. They got angry with him, dragged him off to where I found him and wailed on him until I showed up.

"Ever since then, I was super protective of Danny, even from Mom and Dad. In fact, I was kind of resentful of them. As much as I hate to admit it, what that jerk on the playground said was true. Danny _did_ ask mom for karate lessons many times and Mom _did_ promise him she would teach him. But she kept forgetting and pushing it off and getting distracted by ghosts that Danny stopped reminding her. If Mom and Dad paid more attention to Danny instead of ghosts, he'd at least have been able to defend himself.

"…"

"Growing up, I was the smart one. Not saying that Danny's stupid or anything, but he was too impulsive and clueless. Danny was a nice kid who wanted to help people, and sometimes, he bites off more than he could chew. He never thinks things through and it's gotten him into all sorts of trouble.

"There was this other time when a little girl climbed onto her roof because she was upset with her parents. She got stuck and couldn't get down. Anyone else would have called 911, but Danny decided to get her down himself. I don't know what was going through his mind when he did that – something about the girl not wanting to make a scene – but I bet he regretted it when he got his ankle stuck. The girl got down with Danny's help but she just ran off and left him on the roof after. Someone did call 911, in the end (me) but this time, it was to get _Danny_ down. Danny had been twelve at the time.

"…"

"Danny's heart was too big for his own good and he wore it on his sleeve. In a way, no one could have made a better superhero than him. In fact, now that I think about it, it was pretty stupid of me not to find out Danny's secret sooner. I saw many of the signs; the constant bags under his eyes, his permanent state of stress and a certain maturity that hadn't been there before. I had thought … I thought Danny was upset and angry because he was involved in something dangerous he couldn't get out of. That he was in way over his head and that his friends, Sam and Tucker were a part of it. In a way, I was right, except the dangerous thing wasn't a gang or drugs. It turned out to be ghost fighting, and an innate sense of duty to protect the town.

"I didn't learn of his identity as Phantom until this ghost posing as a psychologist attacked the school. She called herself Ms Spectra.

"..."

"It happened like this.

"Like I said, I thought Danny needed help, so I spoke to Mr Lancer and asked him to talk to Danny. Mr Lancer and I agreed in the end that Danny needed a professional. This made him really upset with me. He called me a fink and told me to mind my own business, which was totally fair of him, in retrospect... But at the time, I was convinced that this only supported my theory.

"I had no clue what Danny was going through until I caught him transforming.

"It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. A ring of light would appear around his waist and it's so bright that I almost had to look away. Then, it would split into two, one travelling down over his feet, and the other up over his head. Where the ring of light passed over, his clothing disappeared and became Phantom's signature jumpsuit and, as the light passed over his head, Danny's blue eyes became a radioactive green while his black hair became the white of freshly fallen snow.

And then he flew!

Kind of jumped and his legs became this wisp-like thing that made me think of a ghostly tail. Flew off right up over the rooftops and into the clouds. Just like that, my little brother was a ghost.

"I kept hoping he would talk to me, and tell me what he was going through, so I hinted at it at home. He almost did too, but then mom and dad started talking about ripping ghosts apart 'molecule by molecule.'

"…"

"How stressful must it be to have to hide such a huge part of yourself from your parents? And how heartbreaking to know that even though you're only trying to help, your own parents want to destroy the other half of who you are?

"…"

"You guys remember that speech I did on Spirit Day? Remember how I disappeared mid-way before coming back? I've been told many times that it was the best Spirit Day speech ever because of that trick I pulled but the truth is, that part was completely unplanned. In fact, I'm still not sure what happened, Danny never got around to telling me. I do know this, though, I was the only chipper kid left in school and Spectra wanted me gone.

"I learned all about it in psychology, moods are contagious and misery loves company. But the reverse is true, if someone is happy, it can lift the spirit of everyone around them. I never needed therapy sessions with Spectra and I had too many extracurriculars to hang around at school all the time, so her influence never got to me. I was too much of a nuisance to her so she decided to get rid of me with some ghostly plasma cannon. Remember how the stage had been charred? That was supposed to be me.

"I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Danny. He just flew in, grabbed me mid-speech and carried me through a wall before I even knew what happened. It was the first time I'd seen Danny Phantom up close and it really struck me how much he looked like my brother. I mean, I know they're the same person but how does no one notice the similarities? The shape of his face? Those eyes? That small smile he gave me right after saving me, it was the exact one he used to give mom whenever she told him that his star charts were spot on.

"Before either of us could say anything, Spectra grabbed him and carried him through another wall. I still remember the things she said to Danny. She told him that he was a freak, that no one cared for a half-ghost like him.

"I decided right then that Danny won't have to know that I know his secret until he tells me himself. It's his secret, and besides, it's not like he needed any _more_ pressure in his life.

"Since then, I really got into ghosts and my parents' ghost hunting equipment. After all, I have to help Danny out where I can.

"…"

"Then there was this ghost called Youngblood who decided to mess with Danny. I didn't know what was going on at first; in fact, I didn't think there was any ghost at all. Only kids could see Youngblood so to Mom, Dad, and I, Danny was hallucinating and blasting at ghosts that weren't there. I thought that the pressure of being Phantom was finally getting to him. I thought he was going a crazy from the constant stress he's under and you can imagine how bad that would be, given the amount of power he had.

"I tried to help and suggested a ghost-free vacation but it didn't help. The entire trip, Danny acted fidgety and weird. His eyes were all shifty and he never seemed to be listening when you're talking to him. He even fazed out of the RV once and blasted a bunch of rocks apart. Things were getting so out of hand I thought I would have to tell Mom and Dad his secret.

"In the end, Danny convinced me that Youngblood existed by putting me into the mind frame of a kid. I always thought I had to shoulder everything and keep the family together, that all the responsibility fell to me because Mom and Dad were too ghost-obsessed and Danny was too _Danny_. I always saw myself as an adult and therefore, I wasn't able to see Youngblood.

"That night, Danny taught me that I can be both responsible and a kid. That I didn't have to choose between one and the other. As smart as I am, I never realised that. Danny did. I think he knew it for a long time.

"I never really thought of Danny as particularly intelligent, what with his abysmal grades, but I found out that day that when he tries, Danny can be very clever. Not to mention wise beyond his years. Must be all the pressure he's under, but Danny can think of answers to impossible problems. Solutions that most of us wouldn't dare dream of.

"That's the thing about my little brother. He doesn't look like much and he doesn't act like much, but there's something about him. And he cares. He cares so, so much. It scares me because I'm always half-worried he'll go and sacrifice himself for some snobbish kid who won't even think to thank him because they thought he was just a ghost.

"…"

"The next important thing I could think of is that Incident with the Career Aptitude Test or, I guess, the CAT. Danny was stressing out and I get why. Mr Lancer literally told the school that the CAT would determine their future for the rest of their lives.

"I tried to help Danny out, I really did. I understand that he was so stressed was because of the insane amount of time ghost fighting takes up and that for him, it's sleep or study. I planned out a schedule for him and several study sessions, but they just seemed to make him more frustrated.

"I remember how, during one particular session, a ghost showed up and I had to leave the room so Danny can fight. Things like that are always happening.

"…"

"Look, I'm going to tell you guys something.

"I knew my brother's secret for months before he knew I did and I've only been tempted to tell Mom and Dad once. And _that_ was only because I had thought he was hallucinating and was a danger to himself and the people around him. Other than that, I trusted Danny to always make the right decisions. To never take advantage of people who don't know about his powers.

"I knew he used his powers a bit for small things, like pranks, or maybe to get out of detention and I can forgive that. Nobody's perfect, and his pranks are always pretty harmless, like stuffing someone's locker with toilet paper. But the thing is, I would never, ever think that Danny would use his powers to steal or cheat or anything like that, even though it would be so easy. Can you imagine a ghost stealing from you? Unless you have a ghost barrier, they can just faze in, invisible, grab what they want and go.

"So when Mr Lancer pulled me aside and told me that he thought my brother had stolen the CAT test answers, I outright refused to believe it, I mean, this was _Danny_ we're talking about. That is until Mr Lancer remarked that he didn't see how Danny could have gotten a hold of the test answers… unless he suddenly gained the ability to turn invisible and reach through solid objects.

"I still refused to believe that it was Danny, but after hearing that I felt like I had to check. I had to be sure, to see with my own eyes that Danny wasn't a cheater.

"So after watching Danny, Sam and Tucker leave the house, chasing after some new ghost, I snuck into his room and searched. I didn't find anything at first and I was about to leave when something in his backpack caught my eye. I pulled it over and reached in to pull out this strange looking grey folder. Stamped across the front, in official-looking font were the words, _C.A.T. Test Answers_.

"…"

"I'm a bit ashamed that I cried. While I'm not exactly emotionless, finding out that your little brother cheated is just not something that people cry over.

"But my big-hearted brother, _Danny Phantom_ who I'd never have thought, not in a million years would ever, ever cheat, used his powers to steal the test answers. It's strange, in a way, how betrayed I had felt by this. Like, I shouldn't be this invested in my brother's affairs, but I am.

"Actually, now that I think about it, the whole of Amity Park seems to be awfully invested in Danny Phantom, aren't we? About half of the articles you find in newspapers are things like 'The Ghost Boy's Newest Heroics' or 'Is Phantom Good or Evil?' And really, he's the one who put Amity Park on the map. Well, him and other ghosts. Whether we like it or not, Danny Phantom made a big impact on all our lives.

"But yeah, back on topic!

"It didn't take long for the hurt and betrayed feelings to sharpen into anger. I mean, how could he? Danny was my little brother, whose secret I'd kept all these months, even from Mom and Dad, who I've covered and helped and worried over and protected.

"I was still feeling upset when his friends, Tucker and Sam showed up in this weird, giant blue ball of light at the centre of the half-destroyed Nasty Burger. At this point, I don't even question things like that anymore. If it looks supernatural and weird, I just assume its ghost related and leave it at that. Anyway, I told them that I knew Danny's secret and that I was going to tell Mom and Dad unless I had a talk with him the next day because here's the thing; he didn't take the CAT yet. That's why I had wanted to have a talk with him, so I could convince him to not cheat. If he didn't, then there would be no need for me to tell his secret.

"That afternoon, I found him in his bedroom and told him that I knew he cheated, knew about his powers and how proud I was of him until now. I needed Danny to understand the trust I had in him, the lengths I was willing to go to support him. I was just about to tell him that it wasn't too late for him to return the test answers when Danny's voice became sinister and he said, 'You always were smarter than I gave you credit for.'

"It hit me then that this … wasn't Danny. Someone who looked exactly _like_ Danny, yes, but not _him._ Then Danny, but not Danny, did this thing where it looks like he's transforming except instead of turning into Phantom, human-Danny became a tall, muscular man with flaming white hair, a small goatee, and hateful, boiling red eyes. He wore this strange version of Phantom's jumpsuit with a long cape. On his chest was Phantom's signature symbol, a flaming white _D_ with a 'p' inside.

"Seeing that symbol on his chest scared me more than anything else. It made my skin crawl. It was like seeing your Mom kiss a man who's not your Dad. Disturbing and terrifying beyond words.

"…"

"Next thing I knew, I was waking up in my bed with Mom and Dad by my side. They told me that Danny had already gone to school for the exam and everything kind of clicked in my head. Hadn't not-Danny said something about 'growing out of it'? And he was wearing Phantom's outfit too. I wasn't sure how it was possible and honestly, I don't care, but ... I think maybe not-Danny _is_ Danny… from the future.

" _But how could that be?_ I wondered, as I'm sure you're all wondering, _Danny was a hero and had been one ever since he got his powers. How was it that he, of all people, grew up to be a monster when he's never done an evil thing in his life?_

"And then I realised. The only slightly evil thing Danny could have done was cheating on the CAT. There's a name for it in psychology: the Foot In the Door effect. Ask someone to steal a jewel and they'll say no, but ask someone to steal a penny and they just might. Then you work your way up and slowly, that penny becomes a dollar, then five dollars, then more. I wasn't clear on the details, but Danny cheating on the CAT must have lead to a slippery slope of consequences that snowballed into something devastating, something that made him snap.

"Something that made his green eyes a bloody red, killed the light in him and replaced it with raging, fiery hatred.

"…"

"I remembered how not-Danny bragged that the current Danny, my Danny, was trapped in the Ghost Zone ten years from now and that the only possible exit would be Vlad's portal. Later I'd question why Vlad Masters had a Ghost Portal, but in that moment, all that mattered was getting the message to Danny. If Danny knew the consequences of cheating then he wouldn't cheat, right? Then not-Danny would just … poof out of existence, wouldn't he? I couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Then there was the problem with contacting Danny. How am I supposed to send someone a message ten years in the future? Then I realised that I was still holding the Boo-merang in my hand. The Boo-merang was still keyed to Danny's ecto-signature and, better yet, it was powered by ectoplasmic energy. The Ghost Zone is full of ambient ectoplasmic energy. Potentially the Boo-merang could function for years in there.

"It was a slim hope, but it was the best I had. I pencilled a note and tied the message onto the Boo-merang with my headband. I threw it into the Ghost Portal with a prayer.

"As soon as I did that, I rushed to find the Fenton Peeler. It was the best thing I could think of that would quickly reveal not-Danny's identity. I also grabbed a Fenton Thermos and the Jack-o-Nine-Tails, because it was better to be safe than sorry when you're fighting someone like not-Danny.

"I drove myself to Casper High almost as quickly as Dad would have if he thought there was a ghost here. I didn't even bother parking my car; I just cut the engine and leapt out. I crept down the halls, positively fraying at the seams. I stopped just outside Mr Lancer's classroom, knowing that Danny took his CAT in his English block.

"I had been waiting, waiting for the right moment when I was hit with this bizarre wave of dizziness.

"I had this sense that everything was as it should be. A series of images had flashed in my mind, but I forgot them almost as soon as they came. There was … an explosion, I think.

"I peered into the classroom and saw Danny up at the teacher's desk, handing Mr Lancer the test answers and I remember smiling when I saw that. Then Mr Lancer gestured towards the door and I hastily ducked out of sight.

"…"

"Later I found Danny sitting on the school steps, looking more relaxed than he did all week.

"'So,' he had said before turning around, 'How long have you known?'

"I wasn't entirely sure what he meant, so I went with the easiest possibility and responded, 'About the test? For days, but I'm really proud of you for not cheating.'

"'Not that,' he had said while pulling out a familiar looking piece of paper and a strip of turquoise fabric, ' _Your_ headband, _your_ note with _your_ handwriting.'

"Remember how I said that people rarely ever give him enough credit? This was one of my moments. Instinctively, though, I tried to deny it.

"Danny interrupted my rambling with a raised eyebrow and one word, 'Jazz.'

"I let out a breath, knowing the jig was up and told him that I knew his secret since the Spectra thing and that I didn't want him to know until he told me himself.

"He kind of sighed and looked at me with these eyes that had seen everything.

"They were so old and it hit me that if this whole thing was some backwards time-travel debacle, I mean, he was ten years in the future for a while and his evil future self was here, could mean that something happened? Something that I don't remember? For all I know, not-Danny did something insane, or Danny and not-Danny had some epic fight, or, I don't know, maybe someone _died_ or something and I just don't remember.

"But Danny does. Danny remembers. _That_ was why he's so relaxed. My little brother was just glad that everything worked out in the end.

"'Well,' Danny had said, 'It's our secret now.'

"We hugged, and I felt so glad that he was here, safe, and alive. I may not remember everything that happened that day, but I do know that Danny has been through a lot. And in that moment, I felt so, so proud of my little brother.

"…"

"After that, things settled down. I realised that ghost hunting is much harder than it looks and came to an understanding with Danny's friends. It wasn't until months later when the next big thing happened. The Disasteroid.

"…"

"As I mentioned at the beginning of this speech, you all know what happened with the Disasteroid and you all know how Danny Phantom saved us, but here's something you probably don't know.

"Danny Fenton always wanted to be normal.

"Sure he had the ambition to be an astronaut, but all my little brother ever really wanted was to fit in, have a lot of friends, and hang with the crowd. He never told me any of this, of course, but I _am_ majoring in psychology, I do pick up some things. Getting ghost powers may be really cool and awesome, but on bad days, it made Danny feel like a freak.

"…"

"You guys remember how Phantom disappeared and Masters Blasters took care of the ghosts? It's because Danny was shown up by the blasted Blasters so much, it convinced Danny that Amity Park didn't need him anymore. And with the Masters Blasters defending the town, Danny no longer had to put up with being thrown into a building every other hour and then being blamed for the property damage.

"Teachers, didn't you notice how, for the first time since Phantom appeared, Danny actually got all his stuff in on time?

"You probably all thought that Phantom took a break, came back when he was really needed. What actually happened wasn't that.

"The Masters Blasters had tracked Danny's ecto-signature to Fentonworks, even though he had been in human form. Our parents, me, Sam, and Tucker and we were about to be arrested for aiding and abetting a ghost. Danny would be handed over to the Guys in White to be experimented on.

"There was no other choice, nothing else to be done.

"Danny had stepped into the closed portal a second time and Danny Phantom... ceased to exist.

"…"

"Later, Danny realised that Masters Blasters wasn't enough to protect the town, not to mention that they charged an obnoxiously high price for their services. He realised that with the approaching Disasteroid, _someone_ had to do _something._ He may not have had his powers, but constant ghost fighting has taught Danny to think on his feet.

"It was his idea to make Earth intangible. And he was the one who came up with a plan on how to do it. And believe it or not, Danny planned on doing it without his ghost powers.

"…"

"Danny taught me another thing right then, he wasn't a hero because he had fancy powers. He was a hero because he did what was necessary, whenever it's necessary. The world was in danger and even though Danny was just a regular kid at the time, he pulled through because we needed him to. _That's_ what makes a hero. That's what made Danny the person that he is _._

"…"

"It didn't quite work out as planned, however. Danny had wanted to drive the Specter Speeder, another of my parents' inventions, into the Ghost Zone and capture a ton of ghosts so they could power a huge machine that's supposed to turn the Earth intangible.

"It worked on the second try when Danny went in alone, but the first time? Things got really nuts.

"Danny, me, Sam, and Tucker had gone into the Ghost Zone and we found ourselves cornered. Danny had gotten us out of the line of fire, but he was caught in it.

"Hundreds of ghosts had blasted him with ecto-energy at once and Danny Phantom was reborn.

"…"

"This was wonderful at the time. We needed Danny's ghost powers and honestly, losing Danny Phantom was like losing half of my brother. I just couldn't imagine my little brother as a fully human anymore. He was my half-ghost, insane, heroic, loud-mouthed, annoying, _awesome_ little brother and I wouldn't want it any other way.

"None of us realised then that when Danny was zapped by the Portal the first time, he had essentially half-died. And when he took away his ghost powers? It's not like he suddenly became fully alive again. As impossible as it is for someone to be half-dead and half-alive at the same time, the one rule that can't be bent is that if you die, you can't be brought back.

"Not ever.

"…"

"When Danny removed his ghost powers, he didn't bring himself miraculously back to life. He was still as half-dead as before. Remember how he had a white streak in his hair? It wasn't a fashion statement. It was a sign that though Danny had given up his powers, his was still half-ghost. Half _dead._

"You can all guess what happened when Danny got his powers back. No, his powers weren't _unlocked_ or _reactivated._ What happened was simple.

"He half-died again.

"…"

"You probably think I'm an idiot for not noticing that my brother _died,_ but here's the thing, Danny was still able to take his human form. You know how some ghosts can disguise themselves as humans so well that we would never know? I even dated a ghost once, this guy called Johnny 13.

"Danny, after being half-ghost for so long, knew exactly how to make his form look exactly as it always did. It was instinctive. I don't think even he knew he was fully dead until months after the Disasteroid. The only reason anyone found out at all was because Danny started to fade.

"Something else you should know about ghosts. They all have an obsession. All of them, even half-ghosts. Ember wants to be famous. Box Ghost, well, boxes. Skulker, hunting. Technus, technology.

"But my little brother never showed much sign of being obsessive. I mean, maybe being a hero? But if that were the case, he'd never have given up his powers. Protecting his loved ones? If that were the case, Danny wouldn't have let anyone help him. He would have stalked Mom and Dad's ghost-hunting expeditions to make sure they're safe and protected. It's true that Danny would prefer to deal with the ghosts on his own without the possibility of endangering the people he cares for, but it's never gotten to the point of obsession _._

"We, Sam Tucker and I, didn't know why this was until it occurred to us that half-ghosts have evolving obsessions. I mean, look at Vlad. If he really wanted world domination all this time, he wouldn't have waited so long to try. He's rich, he's clever, and he's got ghost powers that no one knew of. Heck, he could've done it before he even met Danny.

"Danny didn't have a clear obsession because he became half-ghost in his teenage years. A time of accelerated mental and physical development. So just as his body's growing and mind changing, so is his ghostly side. So is his obsession, changing and growing so fast, it doesn't even seem to be there.

"But when Danny became a full ghost, he needed an obsession to exist. And because the immediate emergency at the moment was the Disasteroid, his obsession became just that. To save Earth from the Disasteroid.

"…"

"One last thing about ghosts. Their obsession is the reason why they are still here. The stronger the obsession, the stronger the ghost. And once they have fulfilled their obsession...they pass on. Gone. Poof. Into the light.

"…"

"And so, after the Disasteroid passed through Earth, Danny fulfilled his obsession. He wasn't a halfa anymore, so he can't adapt. He can't change. Nothing we did could keep him here.

"He passed on.

"…"

"And that is the reason I'm speaking today. I know that there have been rumours that Danny ran away. That now that there are no more ghosts causing trouble, Danny lost the-the _will_ to live or-or something.

"Well, that's not it! That's _not_ what happened! Danny's the bravest, strongest person I know! He would _never-_ he … Danny won't leave us like that. You hear me!? If he had a choice, he'd be sitting _right_ there between Sam and Tucker, commenting on my speech and making fun of me. Like-like he always does whenever I lecture him.

"..."

"I miss him.

"He's been gone for months a-and _god_ I miss him…

"..."

"I'll never forget what Danny said to me one time when he got hurt so bad I had to stitch him up. I-I had asked him,

'Why you? Of all the people in the world, why you?' and he kind of looked at me and said, 'why not me?'

"..."

"Danny, wherever you are, I hope you're happy.

"You deserve it.

"You deserve it more than anyone in the goddamn world."

* * *

 **And now for that line I stole, it's the one that goes, 'Why you?' and yes, I paraphrased a bit. Okay, a lot. C'mon, I last heard it when I was, like, ten.**

 **I don't say this enough, but all reviews rock. A lot. Seriously, I welcome all reviews, even if it just goes, 'It's nice.'**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Bird**

 _ **Edited: March 12, 2017, 12:08 pm (Should read much smoother… hope so anyway…)**_

 _ **Edited: November 20, 2017, 12:55 pm (Wow, I didn't realize my writing could change so much in such a short amount of time. It should be a lot better now.)**_


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